She Who Sleeps With Sirens
by TectonicPlatez
Summary: Annabeth was lonely. That all changed during Luke's luxurious yacht party, where she found a new friend: Perseus, a merman. Annabeth wonders if she'll ever see him again, but Perseus soon reappears at her back door- naked, and fully human. With the help of her classmate, Grover, Annabeth must find how to turn Percy back into a merman before the entire town is destroyed by Poseidon.
1. The Discovery

"No, no,** _no_**. You're doing it all wrong. Bait the hook like _this._"

Annabeth glared at the blonde teen before her, biting her tongue at the way he snatched the fishing rod from her. He was so…controlling.

He was _always_ like this.

"It's fine. Girls can't fish all that well anyways," he said casually, baiting the hook for her. Though his voice seemed calm enough, he impaled the worm on the hook rather forcefully, some of the small creature's fluids spurting into the air.

Annabeth made a disgusted face at both the worm, and her friend. She could hardly see a difference between the two anymore.

That was the thing about Luke. He would be charming and suave, but subtly insult and snub a person at the same time. Some people never even realized Luke had insulted them, too caught up with his good looks.

Annabeth, on the other hand, was too smart for his tricks. He had practiced his subtle rudeness on her countless times.

And she was _tired_ of it.

"Girls can fish just as well as any guy, and you _know_ that. I've just never done this before."

Luke scoffed, surprised at her angry tone with him. Seriously? He quickly glanced at the crowd of kids around them, some of them who were observing the scene closely. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, annoyed by his female friend.

She rarely called him out like this, especially in front of others. He had to fix this. Annabeth was cramping his style. _Again_.

"Are you really going to make me look like the bad guy? This is_ my _party on _my_ yacht. I invited _you_ out the goodness of my heart."

Annabeth scowled. Was he being serious right now? He invited her out of 'goodness of his heart'? She was his childhood friend! Inviting her wasn't some sort of act of charity. It was expected.

But of course, Luke's _newer_ friends backed him up as usual.

"Chill out, blondie," Ethan Nakamura teased, fingering the rim of his red cup.

"Yeah, it's a party. Quit trying to be 'correct' all the time and have fun for once in your life, Annabeth," Octavian joked, high-fiving Ethan.

When the other kids began to giggle along and Luke turned away from her, Annabeth frowned. The other kids were laughing because they believed the same thing. Annabeth Chase was an insufferable know-it-all. A party pooper, a killjoy, a spoilsport.

Luke turned towards her, still laughing at his friends' jokes. "Aw, c'mon Annie, don't look at me like _that_. The guys were just joking-"

"I'm tired of it, Luke. You always treat me this way, like some sort of side show freak that you drag along to entertain your...'friends'. The people who _pretend_ to be your friends. I'm not going to be your fool anymore. I'm done with you."

The tips of Luke's ears turned pink and he could feel his irritation growing.

"You're done with_ me_…? No babe, I'm done with _**you**_. You're always complaining and whining about every little thing I do. You can't take a joke to save your _life_. I was just trying to give you thick skin."

Annabeth threw down her fishing rod, furious.

"You're not trying to 'toughen me up', you're just being cruel! I can't even remember why I ever called you a friend in the first place! Thalia was right about you all along. You're not the same."

Kids on the boat began muttering and whispering, growing excited over the dramatic scene. Annabeth shook her head at them all, turning on her heel and heading for the lower deck of the yacht.

She had come to the party for Luke, but _they _came to the party because of what Luke had. Like leeches, they fed off of his wealth and all the luxury that came with it. And yet, as true of a friend as she was to Luke, he still treated her worse than the rest of them.

She should have never came.

Luke gave a shocked look at her retreating figure, a disbelieving smile drawing itself onto his face. "Who cares what Thalia thinks? She's not even _here._ Ann', where are you running, huh? We're in the middle of the Atlantic ocean on **_my_ **yacht, babe!" He exaggerated. Yeah, they were pretty far out, but only an hour's drive, and they would be back at their seaside town.

When Annabeth didn't stop and disappeared into the lower decks of the luxury ship, Luke shrugged.

He wasn't upset. She could go slip and fall overboard for all _he_ cared. What was she thinking, ending their friendship like that in front of everyone? He was being nice to _her_, giving her the title of 'friend'. Luke was a busy dude, with the looks and money to get with anyone he wanted. _This_ was that twerp's thanks for him hanging out with her? Sure, they had been friends in elementary school, but things changed. Annabeth was getting more and more sour by the day, in Luke's opinion.

She was a waste of time.

Whatever. He wouldn't let her ruin his mood tonight, and besides; he had a party to run! It's not like he did anything wrong. Also, Silena was here tonight. Luke's eyes roamed over to the voluptuous blonde, and they locked eyes, smirking.

If Annabeth wasn't going to stick around, he would have some fun on his own.

"Who's ready to PARTY, people?!" He called out, holding up a bottle of liquor. Yeah, his party had _everything_. Boats, babes, booze, and more. What could he possibly need Annabeth for...?

* * *

She was below deck, hiding away in the yacht's small bathroom.

Teenagers moved through the rooms and on the decks of the yacht. All of them were too young to drink, but too bold to care, and privileged enough to be acquaintances with Luke Castellan, the owner of the yacht.

Annabeth sighed. She guessed that it helped to have a rich business tycoon uncle like Kronos. How else would Luke afford all this?

She buried her face in her hands, frustrated.

Why had she wasted so much time on Luke? He had teased her mercilessly and treated her like some sort of pet the entire school year, but she stuck around like some sort of dope.

And now here she was, stuck on his yacht. With nowhere to go until the party ended and it was time to return to shore.

He would be furious over the fact that she stood up to him in front of the other party-goer's. Annabeth was sure it wouldn't matter. He would still have his loyal entourage of followers and wanna-be's. Money ruled around here. He was probably still up there having fun right now surrounded by his friends, with a new girl on his arm.

And to think she had...to think she had actually _liked..._

Annabeth didn't care anymore.

She stood up, her chest tightening. She wouldn't get upset over something as stupid as this. She would go get some air, that's all. Pushing open the bathroom door, Annabeth maneuvered around the drunk couples that were lazily making out, and the silly friends that were throwing things around the cabin.

She made her way towards the back of the yacht, where no workers or kids would find her, before going back above deck. She sighed as the sounds of the party grew quieter and quieter, glad to escape from it all.

The yacht was big, but she could still hear the music pumping faintly on the other side. Annabeth exhaled slowly, her brows furrowing as she leaned over the rail, thinking.

Always thinking...

...

...She wished_ Thalia_ were still here.

They had been the best of friends, once. However, the spunky girl had moved to New York to live with her dad, and Annabeth had been left all alone in their seaside town. Thalia often wrote and called, but it wasn't the same. Annabeth wasn't as close to anyone else as she had been with Thalia.

Sure, she sat with kids she knew at school during classes and lunch. Sometimes she hung out with groups after school, and sometimes she met new kids at the community center she volunteered at, but none of them were _Thalia_.

They had all grown up together, the three of them. When Luke's uncle Kronos came to town, things had undeniably changed.

Thalia had been the one that had warned her about Luke.

_"Annabeth, I know you like him, but please, **think** before you do anything with him. Luke's different now. I don't know why, but he is. I think it's his uncle. It's the money, Annabeth. It's changing him."_

Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut. Thalia had been right. He _had_ changed.

With both her old friends gone, Annabeth felt lost. She missed the old Luke. She missed Thalia.

Annabeth groaned, her eyes growing glossy.

A friend. She needed one.

**"Hey."**

Annabeth's eyes shot open and she swerved away from the railing of the ship, wondering who had spoken. When she didn't see anyone nearby on the deck, confusion overtook her. Who had spoken?

**"Down here,"** the voice called again.

Annabeth looked down at her feet stupidly. "What?" she called out, wondering where the voice was coming from. It was when she heard splashing, that she raced back to railing, peering over the ship's side.

A boy.

He was bobbing in the water, watching her closely. Only his face was above water, the rest of his body from neck-down was submerged in the dark depths.

Annabeth gasped. Someone fell overboard!

"Are you okay?" She managed while looking around for some sort of rescue flotation device. "You fell overboard? I'll get you out, hold on," she was about to race away until the voice stopped her.

**"No, wait. Come back."**

Annabeth paused, slowly returning to the rail.

"But you're-you need to get out of there, it's getting dark and it'll be freezing soon. Hypothermia is no joke-" she silenced at the intense look the boy was giving her. Now that she thought about it, he didn't seem like he was struggling or in trouble. He actually seemed...comfortable.

The boy looked at her intently before bringing a slow finger before his lips, warning her to be quiet.

**"Can you get any closer to the water?_"_** he asked.

Annabeth froze, forgetting about his question. His lips.

They...they weren't moving.

Like, at _all_.

"How're you…how're you talking without opening your mouth?" She questioned.

**"Never mind that. Just get closer to the water."**

Annabeth gave him a strange look. Was he some sort of magician or something? A ventriloquist?

"Y-yeah, hold on."

She left the railing and raced to the stern, the farthest part of the back of the yacht. As she raced down the stairs onto the low platform of the stern, she wondered how the boy fell overboard. Too much to drink? Maybe someone pushed him?

No one was there by the stern, all of the kids near the front where the birthday cake and alcohol was. She could still hear the music, but it was even farther away now. She began to think again. How had that boy been talking without _opening_ his _mouth_?! A prank, maybe? But no, she had heard his voice as clear as day, she knew he had been talking to _her_.

She stepped down onto the lowest platform of the stern, closest to the water. She could simply reach out and submerge her arm, if she wanted to.

Annabeth kneeled onto the platform and peered into the water, looking around the murky depths. There was no sign of the boy.

She grew fearful.

What if the boy had drowned? What if the freezing temperatures locked his muscles up and he sunk? Oh no, what if she couldn't save him?!

At that moment, she saw the boy slowly emerging from the water. Water droplets rolled down his dark hair. His eyes remained wide open the entire time, focusing on her. They seemed glassy and too bright.

Annabeth had never seen eyes that green on anyone. A side effect of too much seawater, maybe?

"C'mon, let's get you out of there," Annabeth tried, reaching for the boy.

He moved away, barely making any splash in the water. Shaking his head in refusal, his voice came again to Annabeth.** "No, I need your help."** His lips remained still.

Annabeth realized that the voice was INSIDE her head.

But that…that was impossible. Annabeth shook her head. Telepathy didn't exist. There were no official recorded cases of it.

Right…?

**"I need your help."** The voice repeated once more, surprising Annabeth. Maybe telepathy was real after all.

She frowned. "That's what I'm trying to _do_. I'm trying to help you!" Annabeth reached for him again, losing her balance. She nearly fell into the water but a strong hand pushed her back, forcing her onto the platform.

She grew frustrated with the entire situation.

"What's wrong with you? You pull these weird mind tricks, and then you ask for help, but when I try to help, you push me away? Are you crazy? You'll freeze in that water if you stay in there too long, and we're too far away from shore for you to get immediate medical help. I'm trying to save you from dying, so if you'd stop being ridiculous and let me-" and Annabeth stopped speaking.

Because that was when she saw it.

The boy leaned back as _it_ rose out of the water before him, glossy and wet, unfurling like a butterfly. The scales on it reflected the rays of the sunset. It shone like sea glass, like something alien.

A tail.

A _mermaid_ tail.

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Y-y-you…"

The boy winced, and Annabeth finally noticed what was ailing him. The…_tail_…was his. And the tail had been run through, stabbed. It was pierced with a large, steel hook.

Luke's steel fishing hook.

The razor point had shredded through the side of the tail, near the fins. Red blood gleamed across the scales, tainting the color.

It looked painful.

"Oh…I-I…you're a mermaid?" Annabeth gasped out, officially freaked out.

No. _Way._

**"Merman,"** she could hear the boy's voice grit out painfully in her mind. She touched her head, wondering if _she_ was going crazy.

**"I can't get it out. Please."**

Annabeth's eyes widened and she nodded furiously.

Okay. Merman. She would help him out. This was weird, yeah, but the boy...uh, fish- erhm...man?…_whatever_ it was…it was obviously hurt. She motioned for him to come closer so that she wouldn't fall off the platform again. The boy edged forward in the water, raising his hands and lifting himself onto the yacht's platform.

Annabeth observed intently with wide eyes. As he rose out of the water, he seemed like a normal guy. Fingers, arms, shoulders, chest, stomach. He had the whole 'torso' thing down. But as his hips came into view, things somehow meshed from human flesh into fish scales. Within seconds he was sitting on the platform beside her, his fish tail in plain view.

Annabeth stared at him.

He looked around worriedly before pointing to the hook. **"Hurry."**

Annabeth nodded strangely, still in shock over everything. She leaned over, her hands cautiously touching the tail. It twitched the moment her fingers made contact, and a squeal escaped her as she pulled away. Taking a deep breath, she tried again and fixed a good grip onto the tail. It was strangely warm, and slippery.

The hook was made so that if someone tried removing it, it would shred all the flesh on the way out. Annabeth eased it out, careful not to cause any more damage than the hook already had. The scales beneath her fingers actually rose up, like goosebumps.

She looked over to see the boy breathing harshly and gritting his teeth. Annabeth felt increasingly bad as small whining sounds escaped the boy. The sounds weren't telepathic, but actual, auditory, sounds. He was struggling. Annabeth concentrated, pushing her finger into the wound as she eased the hook out of the tail. The flesh inside the wound felt strong and twitched, squeezing her finger.

When Annabeth finally pulled the entire hook out, her hands were slightly bloody. The boy gave a large exhale, relaxing against the platform to catch his breath.

She frowned at the large hook. It was far too large for normal fishing. Who fished during a yacht party, _anyways_?

Annabeth paused, looking at the merman beside her. His breathing slowed and his fingers weren't clutching the deck as tightly. He sighed heavily, looking at her thankfully.

**"Thanks. I couldn't figure out how to get that thing out. Some blonde asshole snagged my tail. I snapped the cord, but the hook was still in me."**

Annabeth watched carefully as the boy's lips remained still the entire time. His voice resounded softly through her mind.

"How…how are you speaking?" She asked, though she already knew the answer. She wanted to hear what he had to say.

**"Mind speak. Or telepathy, in your language."**

"And how do you _know _my language? English? How do you…mind speak?"

The boy looked around nervously, almost as if he wasn't sure whether he should say anymore. Finally, he began. **"Mer-people don't like to speak physically. Our voices aren't strong enough to carry through the water. We click sometimes, sending vibrations. Most times though, we mind-speak."**

Annabeth shivered as his voice rolled across the insides of her skull. It felt…too personal.

The boy frowned.** "Does it upset you?"**

Annabeth shook her head slowly. It did, kind of, but this was a merman she was talking to. When would she get a chance like this again?

"I can change to your way of speaking, if you want," the boy answered out loud.

Annabeth jumped at the sound of his actual voice hitting the air. He sounded raspy, as if he hadn't tried talking out loud for ages. She smiled, glad to hear his actual voice and happy that he could speak out loud. What else could he do?

"You speak English, then?"

"Yes."

"How? Who taught you?"

The boy's eyes glazed over slightly. "My father. He speaks many languages. Languages of the sea-folk and the humans."

Annabeth's eyes widened. She was fascinated. She leaned in close, careful to avoid kneeling on the boy's injured tail.

"So mermaids are real, then?"

The boy gave her a curious smile, tilting his head. Wavy locks, as dark as ink, fell across his forehead. "Why wouldn't they be?"

Annabeth frowned. Didn't he know? "Most people believe that they're myths."

"Oh,_ that_. Mer-people usually keep their distance."

"Why?"

"Humans are dangerous. To others, and themselves."

Annabeth's face fell. She wouldn't say that he was wrong, but...

"…Do you think _I'm_ dangerous?"

The boy's eyes twinkled and the corners of his mouth drew up into a small smile. He shook his head.

"No. I think you are kind."

Annabeth could feel her face heating up. _This_ was a first. She hadn't looked at any other boys besides Luke Castellan for a long time. She could already feel herself looking the boy before her over before she stopped herself. Okay, yeah, he had some pretty _amazing_ abs...but he was still a merman. She didn't have time for this, she needed to know _**more **_about him!

The boy's eyes flicked down to her legs curiously. He gazed back up with those neon green eyes.

"Can I…?" he broke off, reaching out to touch her legs.

Annabeth's eyes widened before she nodded nervously. He had probably never seen human legs up close like this, before. She slowly slid out a leg for him to get a better look at it.

His hands felt normal as he trailed his fingers from her knees, to her calves. He squeezed in some places, prodded others. Annabeth held back a giggle as he slid off her sandals and pawed at her toes, touching each individual one. The boy noticed and smiled at that, messing with her toes a little more than necessary. Annabeth pulled away, laughing softly.

"Do you have a name?" She asked breathlessly, seriously wondering at this point. Did mermaids have names?

"Perseus."

Ah. So they _did_ have names.

"I'm Annabeth," she declared, pointing at herself. "Annabeth Chase."

He smiled at her then, leaning forward. "So you walk on land, Annabeth of Chase? What is it like?" He sounded genuinely interested.

Annabeth vaguely thought of what it felt like to walk, to run across sandy beaches, and jump, and skip. She imagined her school, then her home, and herself sleeping softly inside of it. Her house...man, she kind of missed it after being out here on this yacht for so long. She jumped as she felt something prodding in her mind, like someone was dipping their fingers into her brain. She swiveled towards the merboy, eyes widening as he stared at her.

Perseus. He was looking through her thoughts.

"Sorry," he offered, noticing her discomfort. "That is another way the sea-folk communicate. I only saw your home...it is strange."

Annabeth nodded, pushing down her feeling of uneasiness. "That's alright. It's just...most people don't like their thoughts being seen. It's better for us to just talk, like this, see?"

Perseus nodded. "Then tell me. Tell me what it's like to walk on land."

She shivered before beginning to explain.

"Well, it's-"

"Ann', where are you?" a voice called out, breaking the moment.

Luke.

Perseus swerved towards the sound, alerted, before pushing off the deck. His tail made a small slap as he dove into the water and out of sight. Annabeth froze, awed by the display of incredible speed. Her mind soon caught up with the moment and she raised a trembling hand.

"W-wait Perseus, don't g-"

"Ann'?" Luke called out again, rounding the corner and stepping down onto the platform. "You don't have to sit back here all alone. Why don't you come back to the cabin, yeah? I cleared it out for us. Sorry about the fight…you know how I get sometimes. I miss you already, babe."

When he reached out for her, Annabeth moved away, frustrated.

"Luke, I am not your _babe, Y_ou're not sorry. I wasn't kidding when I said I was through with you. I don't want us to be friends anymore. I don't want us to hang out anymore, it's over. And I don't know what you_ think _I'm going to do with you in that cabin, but it's not going to happen. Not here, not now, not ever."

Luke huffed. "Fine. Be that way. I know you like me, but whatever. You were always such a prude." And with that, he stalked off, looking for some other way to have fun.

Annabeth watched him go, trying not to let his words sting. She hadn't known that he was aware of her secret affection for him. She thought they had been _friends_. The thought that he would even suggest something like_ that _angered her.

Once he was gone, Annabeth turned to the water and called across the waves.

"Perseus? Perseus, please, come back!"

Silence.

The waves remained unbroken and Annabeth sat back, dumbstruck. A merman. She had touched a merman, been touched by one. She had telepathically communicated with something that wasn't even supposed to _exist_.

And Luke had scared it off!

Annabeth groaned and threw herself to the ground, her back hitting the platform. That could've been a scientific breakthrough waiting to happen! Perseus was a living contradiction. And if things such as mer-people existed, what about other mythical creatures?

What else was out there?

Annabeth stared into the night sky from the clean decks of the yacht. He was gone. She wondered vaguely if she would ever see that boy again.

If only she knew.


	2. The New Guy In Town

**Thanks for everyone that reviewed. This is just an idea I wanted to try out, I hadn't realized that there were other story themes like this one. I hope you enjoy the story!**

* * *

_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap._

Annabeth tapped her pencil against her desk as she stared out the window, ignoring her report glaring back at her on the computer screen. She gazed at the clouds and the skies, being reminded of the deep blue sea once more.

He was swimming somewhere down there, in that deep blue sea; she was certain of it.

She leaned back in the chair, forgetting about the project momentarily. It was a beautiful day.

The nervous boy sitting on her living room couch cleared his throat, trying to get her attention. She turned away from the window and gave her classmate an apologetic look.

"Sorry. I've been a little distracted lately."

Grover Underwood smiled shyly at her, holding up his hands.

"Oh no, it's totally fine! I was just wondering if something was wrong, I mean…that's the fourth time you've daydreamed today. I mean- that's not a bad thing! It's just, you seem pretty focused most of the time so it's weird to see you…like this. Unfocused. You know what I mean? Sorry, that was-" Grover finished awkwardly, scratching the back of his rasta cap and rustling his brown curls. He always choked up around her. She made him nervous.

"No, you're right." Annabeth said calmly. "I haven't been myself these days. It's nice of you to care, though."

She gave him an understanding grin before returning back to the computer screen and continuing to type up their report.

Grover sighed in relief, clutching his chest. He was glad to not have angered the blonde.

He had actually been really worried when their teacher had assigned** _her_** as his partner for the project.

In all honesty, Annabeth Chase kind of scared him.

A lot of other kids had told him that Annabeth was a hardcore student, taking nothing less than perfection. They said that anyone who was assigned in a group with her had to do loads of work just to keep up with her, and if they refused, she alerted the teacher and the accused kid would fail the assignment.

Grover was all for teamwork and everything, but he didn't want to be partnered up with a slave driver. He was mighty surprised when he came over to Annabeth's house to work on the project, only to realize that she wasn't all that terrible.

She had offered him drinks, listened to his worries, and debunked his fears. No, she wouldn't rat him out to a teacher as long as he tried to help. No, she didn't live to do homework. No, she wasn't pure evil.

Grover thought that she was pretty…cool, actually.

And pretty.

She was _really _pretty.

Not that he could tell at school. She wore her hair up in high buns and had her usual hard expression on. She was intimidating and unapproachable at school. But at her house? She wore comfy clothes and a softer expression. She actually _smiled_. And she didn't say nasty things to him. Her hair fell down her back in waves and her fuzzy house slippers made her look even less intimidating than before.

He felt bad for thinking poorly of her based on the opinions of other classmates, but she hadn't helped change the rumors much. She usually looked annoyed and hung out by herself, always acing tests and using her razor sharp tongue whenever she felt like it.

He had heard about her fight with her longtime friend Luke Castellan, the richest kid around in their bayside town. Grover had been afraid that Annabeth would still be upset over the fight when he arrived to do their project. He had been afraid that she would take her anger out on _him_. Grover wasn't a stranger to bullies, or anything.

But she didn't speak ill to him. She didn't even seem upset. He had never seen her so calm like this.

He tried to start writing again, his pencil hovering over the page as he thought about some physics property. He sighed, setting the pencil back down.

Physics sucked.

Bored, Grover peered over to see what Annabeth was doing on the computer.

He was surprised to see that she wasn't typing their report. Instead, Annabeth was surfing the Internet. As Grover stood quietly from the couch and edged closer, he could see the title of the website she was on.

_'Mermaids and the Origin of the Legends'_. There was another web browser titled_ 'Mermaids: Fact or Fiction?'_.

Grover raised a bushy eyebrow.

Mermaids?

He didn't take Annabeth as the type to look up stuff like that. She seemed too…logical and realistic of a person to entertain fantastical notions like mermaids. Grover smiled. So she could imagine too, huh?

"You like mermaids?" He found himself asking.

Annabeth jumped in shock, scaring the both of them. She swiveled the chair around to glare at Grover, surprised by how close he had gotten without her noticing.

"And what if I do?" she responded in a low tone. Grover frowned.

"Woah, easy! Don't get hostile. It was just a question."

Annabeth's face fell from anger to uncertainty. She gave a soft "sorry," before nervously closing both windows on the computer screen. She looked at her hands, at a loss. Perseus. He had been real! And yet every other source she came across, on the internet or in a book, all of them denied the existence of mermaids. Had she imagined everything? She couldn't have. If she had imagined it all…

…Well, that was a _sad_ thought.

She had really liked Perseus. She would feel awful if he had been a figment of her imagination all along.

She could feel Grover take a step closer.

"Hey…are you okay? I wasn't trying to tease you or anything. If it makes you feel better, I totally believe in aliens."

A laugh escaped Annabeth and she turned to smile at her classmate. He had a funny way of consoling her.

Grover wasn't so bad. When they had first been partnered up, she had assumed that he was one of the lazy stoner kids that would try to push all the work on her. When he had arrived at her house all shy and awkward, Annabeth couldn't help but think she had been wrong. He was a nice guy, and thoughtful too. It was a bit hard finding snacks for them both though, once she had realized he was a vegetarian. Her family, who had stepped out for the day, were a bunch of meat lovers.

"Aliens, huh?" She asked smirking, folding her legs and reopening the mermaid windows on her computer. She didn't feel as self-conscious around him anymore, and freely looked through the paragraphs on merpeople as he stood behind her.

Grover nodded his head vigorously."Yeah! I mean, why not? With the universe as big as it is, there's totally a possibility, don't you think? I don't believe that we're alone on this planet."

Annabeth turned to him. "You really believe that?"

Grover shrugged. "Sure. Besides…don't you believe in _that_? Mermaids?" He pointed to the computer screen, a picture of a buxom mermaid being displayed.

Annabeth sighed, shrugging as well. "I thought I did. Now, I'm not so sure."

Grover kneeled on the carpeted floor beside her. "What do you mean?"

Annabeth stared at him hard, wondering if she should share her thoughts with him. She hadn't told a single soul about Perseus, but it was nagging at her. She had seen a merman. She had seen something unbelievable, something fantastic…it would feel good to finally tell someone else about the ordeal.

And so she sat down on the carpet with Grover.

"It's plausible," she began, looking at her classmate intently.

"It's...wait, what?"

Annabeth sighed, toning down the big words a bit. "It's _possible_. A little over seventy percent of our entire planet is covered by ocean, right? With all of that ocean, we as humans haven't even explored ten percent of it. So who can say for sure that something doesn't exist down there? We haven't even _seen_ all of it yet."

Grover's eyes widened in understanding. "Wow…I guess that does kind of make sense. That's a lot of unexplored ocean."

Annabeth nodded happily, glad that he was catching her drift. "Exactly! In fact, people are still finding new aquatic creatures all the time. And of all the living things on Earth, more than half are found underwater. The odds of there being mermaids…well, they're good enough for me."

Grover shot her a small smile.

"Now I see why you dig that stuff! That was pretty enlightening, Annabeth."

Annabeth shrugged nervously. "That was only me trying to support my speculations with facts. But there was one event…" she trailed off, her eyes glazing over as she fell into her memories.

Grover leaned in, curious. "What event?"

Her steely grey eyes flicked up at him before she continued. "I think I saw one."

Grover's brows knit together. Huh?

"A mermaid," Annabeth explained softly. "At Luke's yacht party."

Grover's eyes widened. "Seriously…? What exactly did you see? Did anyone else see it?"

Annabeth gave Grover a curious look. He seemed so eager to hear her story! Almost as if he…

"You believe me?" She wondered.

She had doubted that anyone would. She wouldn't blame them either, since the story was so unbelievable.

Grover laughed out loud. "Well, _duh_! Of course I do! You're like, what, the smartest kid in our entire grade? You're always so serious, so when you tell me stuff like this, I kind of want to believe you. I don't think you'd lie about something like this, Annabeth."

Annabeth paused. If she had told Luke something like this, he would have blown her off. Even Thalia would have laughed and wondered if she needed her head checked. Yet here was Grover, believing her whole-heartedly without question. That kind of trust made her feel warmer inside.

She put a soft hand on his shoulder."Thanks, Grover."

He shrugged, smiling crookedly. "Ah, it's nothing. Now, tell me what happened!"

Annabeth nodded, sitting back. "Well, I was on the yacht and I had just gotten into a fight with Luke. You've probably heard-"

"-_Everyone_ heard about that!" Grover supplied. He instantly regretted the comment, noticing Annabeth's expression wilting.

"Yeah, well…we fought and eventually, I ended up near the back of the ship leaning over the railing and feeling sorry for myself. All of a sudden, I saw a boy! I thought he had fallen overboard, you see?"

Annabeth continued on, explaining everything about the strange night to Grover. He listened intently during the entire story, obviously fascinated.

Suddenly:

"Wait, wait, hold on," Grover interrupted. "Was the guy a boy, or a man?"

Annabeth looked confused. She thought back on those precious moments, noting the merman's youthful face. "Well, I guess he wasn't an adult. He looked more our age."

"SO wouldn't that make him a mer_boy_ not a mer_man_?"

"...Does it really matter?"

"…_Yes_!"

Annabeth stared for a moment before laughing heartily. Grover really was a funny guy. She wouldn't mind hanging out with him more often.

He couldn't help but smile alongside her as she laughed. "What's so funny? I'm sitting here thinking you were talking to some merdude with the face of a fifty year old, when _really_, he was our age!"

Annabeth laughed harder, shaking her head vehemently. "No **_way_**. He wasn't fifty years old, he looked like a teenager!"

Grover shrugged, before standing to sit back on the couch. "So you met a tall, dark haired, handsome merdude of legend? Sounds like some gushy love story in the making."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, shaking her head and trying not to blush. "It wasn't like that, really! But I can't help but wonder where he is. Maybe I should rent a rowboat and row through the bay, trying to find him-?"

_**BANG!**_

Annabeth jumped harshly and Grover knocked over his notebook in shock as something hard banged in the kitchen. They both stood, worried. The banging sounds continued, getting louder and louder.

"…It sounds like it's coming from the back door," Annabeth noted, moving towards the door in the kitchen.

"Annabeth, wait!" Grover pleaded, reaching a hand out.

She turned, staring at him.

He went on, nervous. "It might be a robber or something. Maybe an escaped convict or someone trying to get us to join their church! Just ignore them, they'll stop eventually."

But the knocking didn't stop. The knocks turned into bangs once more, soon becoming scratches. The sounds were only getting louder.

Annabeth shook her head. "We can't just sit here. Do you _hear_ that? If they mess up that doorframe, my Dad's going to kill me. C'mon," she said, moving into the kitchen.

Grover followed closely behind, grabbing a rolling pin off of a nearby counter. He silently swore as his hands began to tremble. He watched Annabeth move towards the door, her long blonde hair trailing behind her.

"It might be a wild dog, or something!" Grover said in a shaky voice, edging closer towards the door alongside Annabeth, who had grabbed her old softball bat. The back door rattled and shook as the banging and scratching sounds increased evermore.

Annabeth could feel the fear rising in her, but she forced her trembling hand to reach out and turn the knob. She swung the door open.

Grover screamed.

Annabeth froze.

Perseus.

He was leaning on the door frame, breathing fast with wild eyes. Twigs and leaves littered his dark hair and small cuts covered the sides of his chest. His legs were covered in blood, and he was- he was...

...stark naked.

"A _**pervert**_!" Grover screamed, raising the rolling pin high in the air. Annabeth grabbed his wrists before he brought the pin down on Perseus's head.

"_No_, Grover! He's not a pervert," she exclaimed with wide eyes, struggling to take the pin from Grover's frantic hands.

"A homeless man?" Grover guessed, speaking fast. His eyes roved anxiously over the crazed looking kid at the door.

"No, not a homeless man! Grover, don't you see? That's-"

"Perseus," the boy gasped breathlessly, interrupting them both. "I'm Perseus."

Grover's eyes got impossibly wider before he looked at Annabeth, then back at Perseus, then Annabeth.

"The merdude? But…where's his tail?"

Annabeth and Grover gazed once more at Percy's lower half, bare for the world to see. He had all the parts a normal boy would have, and Annabeth felt her face heating up more than it ever had until she forced herself to look back up at Perseus's face. It was Perseus, alright.

But his tail was gone. Instead, he leaned awkwardly against the door frame on two bloodied up limbs that looked an awful lot like legs.

_'Legs?'_ Annabeth wondered.

He groaned painfully, slamming the door frame with his fist and making everyone jump.

"That's my problem," he explained, gritting his teeth. "I'm…I…I think I've been tricked. Someone turned me human."

Grover threw his hands up, freaking out.

"Well hell Annabeth, forget the damn rowboat! It looks like the kid's found you!"

Annabeth ignored the brunette, slinging an arm around Perseus and helping him off of her door frame. "Grover, come and help me with him."

When Grover hesitated, Annabeth put on a pleading look. "Grover, please."

Grover looked between the two before pinching the bridge of his nose, giving in.

"Wierdest. Group Project. _Ever_."

* * *

"What's wrong? Is he gonna' be okay?"

Grover asked the question from the floor, looking up at Perseus who sat awkwardly on Annabeth's living room couch. Grover pointed at Perseus's legs, both of which were being cleaned up now. Grover's jacket sat on top of Perseus's lap as the boy sat on the couch, sparing them of seeing the boy's full nudity any further.

Grover and Annabeth had begun cleaning his legs with wet washcloths and towels, but the entire time, Perseus had been biting into his hand trying to take the pain. The dark haired boy had shifted around in the seat, wiggling his toes and groaning.

There had been no wounds on either of his legs, but for some reason they had been drenched in blood, and to Perseus, they seemed to be pained.

"_**Agh**_…it feels like I've been dragged through a coral reef," he hissed in pain, arching his back off the couch as Annabeth cleaned the blood off of his ankles.

His abdominal muscles gleamed through the sweat, his chest expanding and receding rapidly. His hair was still a mess, but there were band-aids on his hands and arms now, thanks to Annabeth and Grover.

Annabeth looked to Grover, the both of them confused. She decided to start by answering his original question.

"I don't know Grover. He doesn't seem alright." She turned to the raven-haired boy, giving him a curious look.

"Where did all this blood come from, Perseus?"

He breathed heavily, still shifting around on the couch seat as if he couldn't get comfortable.

"The tail," he explained breathlessly. "When I tried to get back home…something went wrong. My tail started splitting. That's where all the blood came from. I've never felt pain like that before."

Annabeth noted his discomfort. "Does it still hurt?"

He nodded, sweat gathering on his forehead.

"It feels like a patch of sea porcupines latched onto me. These…legs…they feel like _razors_, they feel like they're burning." He looked to Grover, slowly leaning forward. "Is this how legs feel for humans? Are they supposed to feel like this?! It must be hell for all of you."

Grover pushed Perseus back into the couch, giving a concerned expression.

"_Relax_, bro. No, they're not supposed to feel like that. I don't know why you're in pain, since your legs look fine. There's nothing wrong with them."

Perseus sighed, looking at his freshly cleaned legs.

They _did_ appear normal. He couldn't deny the pain that he was feeling, though. He tried wiggling his toes, only to gasp and stop immediately.

Legs felt horrible. He desperately wanted his tail back.

"Percy, man," Grover began, interrupting his train of thought, "how did you even find Annabeth's house?"

Perseus's eyes widened as he thought back. He remembered the way Annabeth's house had looked. He had seen it when he had looked through her mind, seen her thoughts. It hadn't taken long to use her thoughts as his guide once he had reached land.

"I used her thoughts." He said simply. Grover looked confused, but Annabeth realized immediately what Perseus had meant.

"He's telepathic, Grover. He can see others' thoughts. I had been thinking about my house on the yacht, so I guess he saw those thoughts and used them to find this place."

Grover's eyes bugged. "You can read minds? That's _too_ cool!" He turned to Perseus."Okay, okay, what number am I thinking of?"

Perseus's face fell. "...I-I don't know. I can't mind speak anymore."

He couldn't do a lot of things now, he had realized. He couldn't breathe underwater anymore. His gills had closed up, and the demand for air had grown stronger than ever before. When his tail had split earlier that day, he had been underwater, swimming around the bay. After his tail tore itself in half and he found that he couldn't breathe, he had tried calling for help, only to realize that he couldn't send a message to nearby fish for help.

He was alone.

And so he had used his mutilated tail the best he could to swim for land.

By the time he had reached the shore, his tail was gone, and the scales and blood from it were scattered across the sandy beach. Instead, a pair of shaky legs lay beneath him. It had been a struggle to stand, a struggle to stay out of sight from other townspeople, and a struggle to reach this house. He had limped through the forested areas, focusing on his destination: the house of Chase.

"Earth to Percy," Grover called, snapping his fingers in front of the boy's face.

"…Percy?" Perseus asked. Who was that? _Him_?

"Yeah, you, bro. Perseus sounds too…formal, I guess? I'm calling you Percy from here on out. And it's alright if you can't do your telepathy thing anymore, you're still a merdude! Or…at least, you _were_ a merdude."

Perseus buried his head in his hands, freaking out. He wasn't supposed to **be** here. He needed to get back home. If Poseidon realized that he was missing, he would throw a fit, and Poseidon's fits were never pretty.

And what about his tail? It had literally torn apart on him! How was he going to fix this?

He had only heard stories about merpeoples' tails turning into human legs. He had never believed them to be true. But what could have done this to him? _Who_ did this to him?

Annabeth leaned forward, placing a hand on his back.

"Perseus…_Percy_- what exactly happened? Tell us everything."

Perseus shook his head.

How did he know he could trust these two? As much as they had cared for him and consoled him this far, he couldn't look into their thoughts for their true intentions, and they were still human. Humans_ always_ made a mess of things.

Still. As he looked into the eyes of the boy and the girl before him, he didn't feel any ill-will in either of them. The girl had helped him more than once. He had not forgotten about the hook incident, and if she trusted the boy beside her, Perseus felt that he could trust him too.

He hesitantly nodded. "Okay."

The story had been a long one.

"I had run away from home for a while. My father, Poseidon, had been bothering me about upholding his role as ruler of the sea for ages."

"Wait," Annabeth interrupted, "Poseidon? THE Poseidon?"

"Yes," Perseus answered, ignoring the looks of shock on the two humans' faces. Merfolk reacted in much the same way. Poseidon _was_ king, after all. "I run away from home often, so Poseidon ordered me to carry around a charmed conch shell. All I had to do was blow into it, so that no matter how far I ran away, it would return me home. Today, I was ready to go back home. I blew into the conch, but something was wrong."

Annabeth and Grover leaned in.

"It was tainted. Changed. I think someone enchanted it back home, when I wasn't looking. Cursed it. The conch changed me, right before it shattered. My tail tore in half. My gills closed up and I couldn't breathe anymore. I couldn't call the nearby fish to help me, their minds were closed to me. I figured out what was happening and swam for the shore. I left the conch there, on the beach…"

Perseus gasped, standing awkwardly and making the jacket fall off his lap. "The conch shell! It's still **_there_**!"

Grover groaned from the floor, raising his hands up to shield his face. "Oh my GOD Percy, you're killing me here! Get that out of my face, man!"

Annabeth closed her eyes in time, slowly standing up so that she wouldn't be eye-level with Perseus's anatomy. She reopened them, gazing into his face, now.

"Percy," she began, "I think we should find that conch shell. You need to get back home, right?"

Percy nodded. "You would help me?"

"Of course!" Annabeth proclaimed. "Me and Grover will definitely help you. Right, Grover?"

Grover stood, blushing and embarrassed. "Yeah man, we'll help out. But first thing's first…we can't take you back through town looking like _that_." He pointed to Perseus's obvious nudity.

Perseus seemed oblivious. "What? What's wrong?"

Annabeth looked to Grover. "I'll grab some of my Dad's clothes for him. You guys wait here."

And with that, she ran off upstairs.

Grover stood awkwardly next to Perseus, looking from side to side.

"So," he began, "you're a merdude, right?"

Percy nodded. "Yes. Well-" he paused, looking down at his toes,"-I _was_."

"What do you guys eat? Fish?"

Perseus blanched, looking revolted. "No! We eat seaweed, sea berries, algae. I like coral juice a lot. Sea cucumbers, giant clams, lobster, crabs…We can eat the flesh of other sea-folk, but we try not to eat anything with tails like us. Too strange. I do remember some of the local legends saying that our ancestors ate people, occasionally. And I know for certain that the Dark Ones eat the flesh of sea-folk and humans, alike."

Grover gulped, assessing all of this new information. "The Dark Ones?"

"Yes. The ones that roam the deepest parts of the ocean. Your people know a few, actually. Sirens, serpents, sea monsters. Some are like us mermaids. But they are _not_ us. Many are blind from the darkness down there, but still hang on to a thread of partial human form. They will eat anything. They will kill anything."

Grover gulped hard before continuing.

"Oh! Well, that's uh…pretty messed up. Do merdudes y'know…do you guys…reproduce?"

Perseus's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Making children, you mean?"

Grover nodded, looking embarrassed.

"Of course we do!"

"…How?"

"Like how anyone else reproduces, I guess."

Grover stared.

"Well," Perseus began, as if he were speaking to a child, "usually a mermaid goes into heat when the seasons grow warmer and the ocean heats up. She releases eggs that she's spent a while making, so that a merman can swim by and lay his essence on the eggs. Many of the eggs die or get eaten, but at least one or two will survive. Like anyone else!"

Grover kept staring.

Perseus shifted painfully on his feet. "…What? Isn't that how humans reproduce?"

"Uh…**_no_**."

"Well then how…?"

Grover looked around to make sure Annabeth hadn't returned before grabbing Perseus by the arms and sitting him back down on the couch. He cracked his knuckles, preparing to give this merdude the lesson of a lifetime. He figured he'd be doing Percy a favor. Now that he was a human boy, there were some things that he just needed to know.

"Alright man. Here on land, people make babies a little differently. See _that_, between your legs?"

Perseus bent over and peered at himself, spreading his feet apart. "...Yeah, I noticed that...It's kind of _weird_-looking, now that I think about it."

"_Focus_, man. Anyways, all human boys have _that_. Girls? It's a whole different story."

Perseus's brow raised. "What do girls have down there, if not these? Pincers? Tentacles?"

Grover choked on his own spit, struggling to breathe. "NO, dude. Forget all that ocean stuff. Girls have this like…it's like an opening. A door. A clam! Yeah, that's it. Anyways, both girls and guys use that to get rid of waste, y'know? But it can be used for other things, you catch my drift?"

Perseus stared, confused. "No."

"Aw, c'mon man, don't make me say it out _loud_-"

"Say **_what_** out loud, Grover?" Annabeth asked in mock curiosity, returning to the room with a bundle of clothes in her arm.

Grover jumped, slapping a hand over Perseus's mouth. "Nothing! Percy here was just telling me about stuff that mermaids eat, and Dark Ones, and all that."

Annabeth rolled her eyes skeptically, sitting down between both boys.

"Save the anatomy lessons for later, yeah Grover? Let's not confuse him. He_ just_ turned human."

Grover scratched the back of his head, turning red and taking a sudden interest in the floor.

Annabeth turned to Perseus, motioning for him to stand. He obediently stood up and she helped him into her Dad's oversized shirt and cargo shorts. While helping him with his sandals on, she began speaking.

"Alright, Percy. Grover and I are going to walk you through town back down to the beach, okay? We'll find your conch shell, and then we'll find you a place to stay for the night while we figure things out. How does that sound?"

Perseus nodded, grateful. His legs still hurt terribly and his feet felt as if they had needles in them, but Annabeth's soothing hands made the burning sensations begin to fade. He sighed happily as her fingers ran over his pained skin. She paused, giving him an odd look.

Standing, she pulled Grover and Percy up from the couch to stand with her.

"Alright guys. Let's go find that conch!"

* * *

The walk to the beach had been a long one.

Not because the distance from the beach to Annabeth's house was lengthy, but because Percy's legs still pained him greatly. Every step he took was fire through his legs, and Grover and Annabeth had to stop many times to help him along.

Not to mention how he was slowed even more by all the sights to see on land.

"What...what is that?" He asked of Annabeth, watching a car zoom by on the road.

Annabeth chuckled at his awed expression, explaining it to him. He was fascinated. In a way, he seemed like a child due to his lack of knowledge of everything above the sea. Still, she knew he was no child. The stories he had shared about his life underwater were growing stranger and stranger, and Annabeth could barely make sense of it all.

There were others like him? Sirens and sea monsters existed? His father was Poseidon, the legendary sea king?

Incredible. All of it.

Annabeth was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She could feel the pull. She wanted to know more about him, wanted to understand him better.

Still. He _wasn't_ supposed to be here.

She knew that much. The pain in his legs was only proof. Being on land was a struggle for him, and he had never meant to turn human in the first place. She had to find a way for him to change back, if there even _was_ a way.

Poseidon. He would be waiting for his son, wouldn't he? And if Percy didn't show up soon...

What would happen?

Annabeth shook away the uncertain thoughts, keeping a steady step towards the beach. Percy stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk, but Annabeth quickly steadied him. She entwined their fingers, looking at him carefully.

"Is this okay? It might help keep you balanced. Just hold onto me."

Percy nodded absently, watching the cars zoom by on the road.

One particular car, a red Mercedes-Benz convertible, pulled up along the sidewalk, cruising at a slow speed alongside Annabeth, Percy, and Grover.

Annabeth groaned as she saw the car's passengers. Luke Castellan and his gang of friends.

Grover looked to the ground nervously, shuffling closer to Annabeth and Percy.

"Hey Annie'," Luke called from the driver's seat, looking over at the three friends on the sidewalk. "Are those your new friends, huh? That wannabe' Bob Marley and..." he paused, doing a double-take at Percy. "Who's that guy?"

Annabeth walked faster, pulling Grover and Percy alongside her. "My name's not Annie, Luke. And it's none of your business."

Luke's friends laughed as Luke sped up the car, keeping up with them.

"What's wrong? You used to let me call you Annie all the time, _Annie_." He emphasized. "Where are you guys going? The kiddie park? Or better yet, somewhere boring...the library? You guys need a ride? You're moving a little slow there without wheels."

Annabeth shook her head, growing red in the face. He was ticking her off.

"Aw, Annie, what's with the long-" and he stopped.

Because Percy had moved to the side of the car, glaring at him.

"Hey, what's his issue?" Luke called over, glaring back at Percy. "Is he stupid or something?"

Percy showed his teeth, snarling. This was the _same_ guy that had snagged his tail days before! And now he was disrespecting Percy's new friends, not calling them by the titles they wished to be called by.

Among the merfolk, this was unacceptable, an act of challenge. He had excused Grover and Annabeth's shortening of his royally bestowed name only because they had meant no harm by it, but this boy...he was teasing them all. Making a mockery of them.

Luke chuckled alongside with the other boys in the Benz, pushing his foot on the gas pedal. He jerked to a halt as Percy dove to the front of the car, stopping them.

"Hey, what are you doing, man? Get out of the way!" Luke hollered, honking his horn.

"Apologize and call her by her proper title." Percy demanded. Of course, this human would obey him! He was the prince of the seas.

But Luke didn't obey anything. He frowned, honking even louder than before.

Percy stalked over to the driver's side of the convertible, pulling on the door handle, trying to get to Luke. A sound of wrenching metal filled the air before Luke's car door tore off in a terrific roar.

Luke's angered expression turned into one of horror as he stared at the detached door.

The sound of screeching rubber faded as he and his friends all drove off in a flash.

Percy stood there awkwardly, holding the large car door by the handle. Grover and Annabeth's jaws hit the floor.

"P-Percy, put that down!" She struggled to get out, racing over to him to pry his fingers off the door handle. As she looked them over, they seemed noticeably fine. How had he done that?

Grover looked around in shock. "Guys, lets get out of here! Before someone sees, or a traffic cam catches us. C'mon, c'mon!"

And so Percy dropped the car door in the street and raced off after his friends. The sound of their feet slapping the pavement made a small smile come to Percy's face.

So _this_ is what it felt like to run.

As the wind flew through his hair and whipped his clothes around him, he ran even faster despite the pain in his legs. This was fantastic!

"Percy, slow down, man!"

Percy slowed for his human friends to catch up, but began skipping and jumping as he did, laughing like a child.

"This is fun!" he gasped, jumping even higher. Being on land was fun!

Annabeth and Grover shared confused looks as they ran alongside him.

"Percy," Annabeth panted, "how did you do that? How did you pull the car door off like that?"

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, skipping now. "You guys can't do that?"

"No way!" Grover panted out. "That was like...superhuman, man!"

Percy tilted his head, thinking as he switched from skipping to running. "Well, compared to humans, I guess merpeople are kinda' superhuman. My dad's Poseidon, so I'm stronger than the rest of the merfolk. We need to be able to live in both shallow and deep water. The pressure down in deep water can get pretty tough to bear, so we need to be strong. I guess I'm just stronger than you two."

Finishing up his explanation, he saw the beach.

"There it is!" He shouted excitedly, veering off the sidewalk and down the road. Annabeth and Grover heaved, trying to follow after him.

They slowed down the moment their feet touched the sand, but Percy continued on, kicking up sand and rolling around in it. It seemed like he wasn't searching for the conch anymore, but playing instead.

Annabeth sighed, watching their friend roll around on the beach. "We _need_ to find that conch shell."

"Yeah," Grover nodded, "but what are we going to do once we find it? Percy said it himself. The thing didn't work for him. It broke."

Annabeth thought on that. "Well, yes. But it's a clue! Remember when he told us that he thought someone had messed with it?"

Grover nodded.

"Well," Annabeth went on, "I'm no expert on mermaid magic or anything, but I don't think this was an accident. I think someone _meant_ to turn Percy human. Someone who knew that Percy would eventually need to use the shell. And I don't think it was his dad."

Grover frowned. "But wasn't it his dad that _gave_ him that shell in the first place?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yes. I know that. But I don't think his dad did it. Remember? Percy said Poseidon gave him the shell so he could return home. He's used it before. It's _worked_ before, taking him home. So why didn't it work _**this** _time? Besides, why would his dad want to make him human? His dad was nagging him about being sea king, right? Well, a human boy can't be king of the sea. Someone else must have done this."

Grover nodded. "Okay. Let's pretend someone changed him into a human on purpose. _Why_ would they do that?"

Annabeth shrugged.

She didn't know. What were the benefits of turning a merboy into just a...boy?

Grover shuffled the sand around with his feet. "You know...Percy said something about other sea creatures. Like mermaids n' stuff. He said there were like, sirens and sea monsters. And 'Dark Ones'. What if a_ mermaid_ didn't do this to him? What if one of those creatures did it?"

Annabeth shrugged again. "I don't know Grover. This is just...too weird. Until we figure out more of what's going on, we should keep Percy away from other people. Imagine what would happen if people realized that he's really not human?"

Grover frowned. "Uh, we're kind of failing at that, already. Look. He's already talking to that candy vendor over there!"

Annabeth turned.

Percy was chatting it up with Sally Jackson, the local candy seller. She was a small woman and owned a small stand that she set up by the beach everyday, selling shells, pearls, and most of all, candies. Percy was already munching on a few, smiling as the older woman cooed over him.

Annabeth and Grover raced over and kicked up sand before pulling Percy back.

"What are you _**doing**_, man?" Grover asked wildly. Percy tried to answer him through a mouthful of candy, but was interrupted.

"Sorry, Miss Jackson!" Annabeth apologized. "Don't mind him! He's new in town. We were just...showing him around!"

Sally frowned, a little sad that Percy had to leave.

"Is it true that he can't get home?" The older woman asked.

Annabeth and Grover froze. What _exactly _had Percy told her?

"I can drive him wherever he needs to go." Sally offered. "It's no trouble, honestly!"

Annabeth stepped back shaking her head. "Um, Miss Jackson, that's _really_ not necessary-"

"Yeah, you can't drive to my home!" Percy giggled through his mouthful of candy, high on sugar. "You'll drown!"

Sally gave them all a horrified look.

Grover slapped a hand over Percy's mouth, edging away from the candy stand. "Ignore him, Miss Jackson," Grover tried. "He's just-"

"I ran away and now I can't get home!" Percy shouted, spitting candy chunks everywhere. "I'm not supposed to be here! My conch shell broke! I have nowhere to stay!"

Miss Jackson slapped a hand to her chest, feeling sorry for the young man. This teenage boy was a runaway? No wonder his clothes were full of sand and baggier than they should have been. He had twigs and leaves in his hair, and seemed as if he hadn't eaten for days. He also walked with a limp. Sally felt her heart go out to him. He had been so sweet to her when he had approached her candy stand!

So he was a runaway?

She had seen runaways pass through their bayside town before.

Always hopping on buses to nowhere, or getting into cars of strangers. Sleeping on the beaches, wandering through the woods. Kids _always_ went missing. She feared for Percy. His friends seemed like they would rather keep him close, but maybe...maybe that was because they thought Sally would report them all to the police? Oh no, she wouldn't do that! She wanted to gain their trust, to find a safe place for this boy.

There was _something_ about him...

"Oh, that's terrible! I have plenty of other conch shells that you can see, Percy. If you need a place to stay, you're welcome at my home. My husband, Paul, and I would love to have you."

Annabeth shook her head vehemently. This was getting out of hand.

"**_No_**, Miss Jackson! We just...he needs...we're helping him get back home, so you don't have to worry about anything, we can-"

Sally smiled gleefully. "Oh, you're helping him? You're all so kind. Please, allow him to stay with my husband and me. We will shelter him for the night while you try contacting his parents. It's no trouble, really, it isn't. I promise I won't turn him in to the authorities. I would just hate to see him get into any trouble. You could visit him whenever you like!"

Percy smiled at that. He wouldn't mind staying with this woman! She seemed kind. And she had tasty candy, too.

Annabeth frowned. "I don't know..." She knew where Miss Jackson lived. Right by the beach. But what if Percy said something? What if he did something? They couldn't let the other townspeople realize what he was.

"Annabeth, it's alright." Percy assured, stepping beside Sally. "I like her."

There was a long moment.

Finally, Annabeth sighed. "...Alright..."

Sally and Percy beamed, glancing at one another.

"Don't feed him fish!" Grover blurted suddenly. "He can't eat fish!"

"Oh! And watch out for your strength, Percy. We aren't as strong as you." Annabeth added.

"And call us if you need any help! Or if something happens!" Grover insisted.

"Better yet, we'll visit you everyday until we can get you back home!" Annabeth urged.

"Don't tell her about you being a...well, you know." Grover whispered, only loud enough for Percy to hear. The dark haired boy nodded, understanding.

"Wait, wait," Annabeth interrupted. "The conch! We still need to find it!"

Percy smiled. "I already found it."

"Where?"

Percy pointed to Sally's candy stand and pulled a conch shell off of her display. Unlike the others, the one in his hand was gnarled and burnt, blackened and strange-looking. It had cracks alongside of it and was missing a few small shards.

"Sally picked it up earlier when she was searching for shells on the beach to polish and sell." Percy mentioned, holding up the shell for everyone to see. "That's why I came over to talk to her. Here, you have it."

He put the ruined shell in Annabeth's hands before running around the beach once more. Sally laughed, watching him play.

Annabeth showed the shell Grover. He looked up at her uncertainly.

"Annabeth...I don't know about all of this. He's a _merman_. He's a myth, a fantasy, he's not even supposed to exist! Can we really help him? I mean, we're just...kids. We barely know anything _about _him. What if we can't change him back? What if he's stuck like this forever?"

Annabeth gave him a sad look, sliding her fingers over the broken conch shell.

"Grover, we...we have to_** try**_. If we don't help him, who will? He doesn't know anything about the human world. He trusts us. We have to keep his secret."

"And what if we can't do that?! What if _everyone_ finds out? Before you know it, the government will knock down our doors and drag us all away to be tested on or something!"

"Grover," Annabeth pleaded, "if we leave and don't help him, people will _definitely_ find out. At least he has a chance with us."

Grover looked away, still uncertain, but Annabeth pulled him back, forcing him to look at her.

"What about Poseidon, huh?" She continued. "You think the **_king_ **of the seven seas is going to be_ happy_ when he realizes his son, his heir to the throne, is **_gone_**?! In the stories, Poseidon's flooded towns, whole cites even! If we don't get Perseus back home, who knows what Poseidon will do! Are you a good swimmer? Because _I'm_ not! I can't do this alone, I need you, Grover!"

Grover sighed, throwing his hands up. "FINE! Fine. But let's do it _fast_, alright? We turn this kid back into a merman, we send him home, we stop Poseidon from throwing a mega temper tantrum, and we finish the damn group project, alright?"

Annabeth threw her hands around his neck, grateful.

"Thanks, Grover."

Grover shrugged and blushed nervously, unsure of what to do with a girl hanging off of him. It didn't happen often. "Yeah, it's no big deal...Well, you're the smart one. What do we do now?"

Annabeth pulled back, her mind already working overtime.

"We have the shell. Now, let's ask Percy a few questions. He might tell us a clue. Maybe he'll mention a way to turn back. Maybe he'll mention someone in his life who might have wanted to do this to him."

Grover nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. He's staying with that Jackson woman tonight, right?" When Annabeth nodded, he stepped away from her, walking towards Sally Jackson once more.

"Hey, Miss Jackson? Do you mind if Annabeth and I join you guys for dinner tonight?"


End file.
